1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer apparatus, and more particularly relates to support foot apparatus connected to the base portion of a tower type computer unit for stabilization purposes.
2. Description of Related Art
The housings of computer system tower units are vertically elongated and are designed to be stood on end on the floor adjacent a desk atop which the other two primary personal computer system components, a keyboard and a display monitor, are disposed. Because the tower unit is vertically elongated its center of gravity is relatively high. Accordingly, unless stabilized at its base in some manner the tower has a tendency to be easily tipped over if inadvertently bumped or jarred.
In order to stabilize a computer tower unit of this type various forms of support foot structures have been previously proposed for connection to and projection outwardly from the base of the tower unit. One such stabilizing foot structure comprises a plurality of elongated support foot members that are screwed to the bottom of the tower unit. When the tower is manufactured and shipped, the foot members are screwed to the bottom of the tower unit in retracted positions in which they are within the footprint of the tower base wall.
When the tower unit is unpacked and readied for use, the leg members are unscrewed from the tower base wall, reoriented to extended positions in which they longitudinally extend outwardly beyond the tower base wall, and then screwed back onto the underside of the base wall. This screw mounting of the support feet undesirably increases both the material and labor cost of the tower stabilizing structure, and does not provide for particularly convenient use by the ultimate owner of the tower unit.
Another prior art approach to using outwardly projecting support foot structures to stabilize a computer tower unit is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,768 to Hardt et al in which a plurality of foot structures are mounted on the underside of a computer tower unit for translational extension and retraction relative thereto. The mounting of these support is achieved using a relatively complicated multi-component foot guide and locking structure secured to the underside of the tower unit. While this overall stabilization structure is, from a functional standpoint, well suited for its intended purpose, it is relatively expensive from both a material and fabrication cost.
It can be seen from the foregoing that it would be desirable to provide improved computer tower stabilizing foot apparatus which eliminates, or at least substantially reduces, the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages typically associated with conventional stabilizing foot apparatus of the type generally described above. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved computer tower unit stabilizing foot apparatus.